


i'm safe and we're a million miles away

by monsternights



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (it's mutual don't worry), Birthday, First Kiss, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentions of Other Voltron Paladins, Not Canon Compliant, Pining Shiro (Voltron), no s8 here, soft and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22963501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monsternights/pseuds/monsternights
Summary: “It’s not a big deal, it’s just a birthday.”Keith snorts and Shiro looks up to see him roll his eyes.“Of course it’s a big deal, Shiro. And we’re going to celebrate properly.”Shiro smiles and Keith winks at him.Fuck, he’s so in love.or the one where Shiro has a birthday
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 102





	i'm safe and we're a million miles away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heyfoxprince](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyfoxprince/gifts).



> well holy shit it's been a minute y'all
> 
> I haven't posted in a whole ass year for a multitude of reasons but I couldn't let my favorite boy's birthday pass up without posting something even tho it makes me sweaty with anxiety
> 
> this is unbeta'd so all mistakes are entirely my own whoops
> 
> and finally, a big giant thank you to Hero for being there for me while I sweated through this and gave me the confidence to write at all. 
> 
> Happy Birthday, Shiro 💖

> _INCOMING MESSAGE:_
> 
> _KK: Hey old timer_
> 
> TS: You really need to get some new material.
> 
> _KK: Why? It’s still funny._
> 
> TS: I’m not actually that old! In fact...
> 
> _KK: Oh my god, don’t say it_
> 
> TS: I’m almost 7!
> 
> _KK: You are the worst_
> 
> TS: You like it
> 
> _KK: Obviously_

Shiro’s heart stutters. They haven’t yet talked about whatever was growing between them. There’s a constant undercurrent of _something_ that swirls around them, filtering into their conversations and casual touches. Neither of them seems willing to bring it up, fearful to break the tenuous thing as it blooms, but it’s _there._ It’s new, but also somehow not at all new. Shiro is excited by it and entirely out of his depth.

He fumbles for what to say next but is saved by a second ping.

> _KK: So how does it feel to be almost 7?_
> 
> TS: Honestly, not really any different. l suppose it’s nice to be spending this year on Earth and not fighting a giant space war anymore. The last actual birthday was before Kerberos.

It pains Shiro a little to think about it. All of that seemed so distant from who he is now, from who they all are. He pushes it from his mind in favor of reading Keith’s next reply.

> _KK: You better be done working today by 1800 hours, got it? You’ve stayed late almost every evening for the last two weeks_
> 
> TS: How do you know that??
> 
> _KK: I’ve got eyes everywhere, Shirogane._

Shiro looks up and glances around his empty office warily. If he had to guess, it was probably Veronica that ratted him out—his first officer was a _menace_ —but he couldn’t be absolutely sure. 

> _KK: I mean it, 1800 hours on the dot._
> 
> TS: You know I technically outrank you, right?
> 
> _KK: Yeah, what are you going to do about it, sir?_

At that Shiro has to put his head down on his desk, cheeks heating up as he groans. 

And then there was the _flirting_. God, so much flirting. It really was going to be the death of him.

> TS: I guess nothing since my crew is apparently a bunch of traitors.
> 
> _KK: Atta boy :)_

X

“So when are you coming back?” Shiro asks as he turns to pull the whistling kettle from the stovetop. 

Keith’s face glows from the datapad that’s propped up on the kitchen counter. His lips twist down a little. 

_“I’m not sure, actually. The negotiations with the Strorixian government aren’t going as well as we hoped.”_

Shiro’s heart sinks with disappointment. It’s been a month since Keith left for a mission in the outer reaches of an allied system and Shiro misses him desperately. 

“Oh,” he says, mind churning for something positive to add. “I’m sure you all will be successful.” His birthday is at the end of the week and he’d foolishly been hoping that he would get some time to sneak away with Keith to celebrate. However, as always, the good of the Universe came first. It was silly to think that something as trivial as a birthday would supersede that. 

_“We’ll do something fun for your birthday when I get back, I promise.”_

Shiro looks down, dunking the teabag in his mug absently as it steeps. He can’t stop the guilt he feels at his transparency. 

“It’s not a big deal, it’s just a birthday.”

Keith snorts and Shiro looks up to see him roll his eyes. 

_“Of course it’s a big deal, Shiro. And we’re going to celebrate properly.”_ Shiro smiles and Keith winks at him.

Fuck, he’s so in love. 

X

On the morning of his birthday, he wakes at 0500 as always. He makes his way through his morning workout circuit, a cursory shower, and scalding hot cup of coffee. He waits until the last second to look at his datapad, trying to quell the anticipation he feels building. 

He told himself when he went to bed last night that he wouldn’t expect good news from Keith. He’d spoken to him two days prior—they were still stuck on Strorix at an apparent standstill. Keith had griped about it being a waste of time to indulge their reticence, but they were a pivotal ally that the Coalition was urgent to attain. 

He clicks into his messages. One from Allura, confirming their lunch date. A meme from Pidge. One from Hunk, reminding him to act surprised about the party that they were throwing for him tonight and apologizing again for accidentally spoiling the surprise but he really _did_ need to know Shiro’s favorite cake flavor. 

He keeps scrolling, looking for anything from Keith.

Nothing. Stamping down on the disappointment that bubbles up, he dumps the rest of his coffee down the sink. 

The good of the Universe and all that.

X

“Any word from Strorix?” Shiro asks his first officer as he settles into his desk chair and accepts the tablet she hands him. He flicks open a set of quarterly reports that need his attention.

“No, we haven’t been pinged with an incoming signal from Kogane yet, sir.”

“Wh—that’s not what I asked,” he hedges.

“Sure thing, sir.” She smirks knowingly. “The team was originally scheduled to leave Strorix’s system last night, but since the negotiations delay, we have not been updated. I’ll let you know when we receive an ETA.” 

“Thank you, Veronica.” 

He looks down at his schedule for the day. It’s suspiciously empty. Scowling in confusion, he checks again that he was on the right day. He had recalled yesterday seeing at least two meetings scheduled for this afternoon, but now the second half of the day is open.

“Veronica, has my schedule been uploaded for today?” 

“Yes, sir.” She continues to flip through her own tablet unconcerned with Shiro’s apparent crisis. 

“You wouldn’t happen to know what happened to my meeting with the ambassador with Zihiri? Or the briefing with commander Iverson?” 

“They rescheduled, sir.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t tell you. Must have been a scheduling conflict.” 

Shiro squints at her. Her expression gives nothing away and he sighs, accepting his fate. Truthfully he’s not too upset at his meetings being rearranged without his knowledge. He’s hoping to get a phone call in with Keith later on and the Zihirian ambassador has a penchant for droning on far longer than necessary. 

Veronica smiles at his easy acquiescence and places a small wrapped package with an envelope tucked under the bow on his desk. 

“From the crew.”

He arches an eyebrow at her. She flicks her brows up and pointedly scoots it towards him. 

Scheduling conflict, indeed.

“Happy birthday, sir.” 

_Menace._

X

As it turns out, everyone was in on the meddling and the surprise party that Hunk _accidentally_ spoiled was a red-herring to distract him from the other plans that his friends had arranged. Allura whisks him away for lunch, where they end up drinking too many mimosas until Coran shows up to escort them to what turns out to be an upscale spa. Lance is inside with Romelle and the four of them are treated to mud masks and hot stone massages. Once they return back to Atlas, Shiro finds out that Pidge and Matt have assembled a massive multilevel laser tag course. Pidge informs him in no uncertain terms that just because it is his birthday does that mean that they’re going to let him win. 

They end the night crowded around a table, a large cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries and puffs of whipped cream sitting in front of Shiro. A large sparkly pink candle shaped like a 7 is lit and everyone sings _Happy Birthday_ hilariously off-key. Shiro is so full to the brim with happiness and affection for the people surrounding him. 

There’s just one person he wishes more than anything was next to him. He hadn’t had a chance to call Keith at all today, his datapad had been confiscated the moment he looked away. His chest tightens up and he has to clear his throat past the bright flare of emotion that bubbles up.

“Alright, birthday boy,” Lance says as he drops his fork onto his plate. “There’s one more gift for you.” 

Shiro is scraping the last bit of cake from his own plate and he looks around to his friends, who are all in varying states of rosy-cheeked tipsiness from the bottles of champagne they’d been passing around for the better part of an hour. 

“Guys, really. This is—I don’t even know what to say. Today has been amazing. What else could there be?”

Allura and Lance glance between themselves and smile back at him.

“Oh, this one isn’t from us. Mullet had something delivered.”

Shiro perks up immediately. “ _Keith?_ When did you talk to Keith?”

Lance just shrugs and Hunk nudges Shiro with his elbow. “It’s in your room.”

Shiro doesn’t spare a second glance at Pidge’s salacious grin and he darts out of his chair and takes off towards his living quarters, leaving behind the laughter and clapping of his meddlesome friends.

The hope that Shiro had been holding back all day unleashes itself. It’s been 35 days since he’s seen Keith and he feels each one of them acutely. Shiro skids to a stop in front of his room, smoothing out his hair as he takes a breath and swipes his hand over the panel.

The door slides open and there stands Keith in the middle of the room, cutting a devastatingly handsome figure with his blade uniform crisp and long braid curling over his shoulder. 

Shiro laughs but it sounds a little like a sob. 

“You’re _here_ ,” he croaks out.

Keith’s smile wobbles a little as he cocks his head to the side. 

“Did you really think I wouldn’t fold the universe in half to make it back for you?” 

Shiro feels something soften in his chest, melting down his spine and filling him with warm, overwhelming relief. 

He doesn’t think about it, just crosses the room in a few strides and wraps Keith up in his arms. Keith laughs brightly as Shiro spins them around once before dropping Keith back to his feet. He pulls back but keeps his arms around Keith’s middle. Keith doesn’t step away, he just cups Shiro’s cheeks in his palms and his eyes crinkle with the force of his smile. 

“Happy birthday, Shiro.”

Shiro tilts his head into Keith’s palm, covering one of the hands pressed to his cheeks with his own. Heart galloping wildly, he stares down at his best friend. 

“You’re actually here. I didn’t think—I mean... _how?_ When did you land?” He asks dazedly. 

“When I realized they weren’t making any progress, I just sort of...hopped in Black and left? Commander Holt and Kolivan really have it covered, I don’t know why they wanted me there—”

“You bailed on official Coalition peace talks? For me?” 

“Well, when you say it like _that_ —”

“I love you.” He blinks at the words that have left his mouth unbidden. He could blame it on the champagne or the shock of seeing Keith or just about anything, but he finds that he doesn’t want to. He’s finally said the words out loud and he could laugh with how right it feels. 

_“Shiro,”_ Keith breathes. His eyes are shining and his smile spreads gently across his face like spun sugar. It’s as natural as anything for Shiro to lean down and press his mouth to Keith’s.

Their first kiss is soft and sweet and a little sticky from the strawberries of the cake. Shiro can feel the gentle scrape of calluses on Keith’s hands as they brush across his neck and pull him in closer.

Keith is the one to pull back, resting his forehead to Shiro’s for a moment before he swipes his thumb to the corner of Shiro’s mouth. It comes away with a little streak of red and Shiro flicks his tongue out to lick at the side of his mouth and he tastes the strawberry compote that was drizzled across his cake. Keith just sucks his thumb into his mouth, humming in pleasure and Shiro tosses his head back and laughs.

X

“So,” Keith asks sometime later when they’re curled together in bed, tucked under Shiro’s heavy quilt and both drowsy with sleep. “How does it feel to be 7?”

Shiro runs his fingers through Keith’s hair where it spills across his pillow and he thinks of mud masks and laser tag and strawberry-flavored kisses.

“Absolutely perfect.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> yell at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/monster_nights)
> 
> title from The Moon Song by Karen O


End file.
